The present invention relates generally to back plane connectors, and more particularly, to a daughtercard connector having terminals adapted for improved, more reliable transmission of high speed differential signals.
Routers, servers and similar electronic communication and processing devices typically include multiple printed circuit boards (PCBs) arranged and operatively connected together. For example, a backplane board can be provided to which one or more daughter cards are connected. In order to conserve space and promote air cooling over the backplane and daughtercards, the daughtercards can be arranged parallel to each other and at a right angle to the backplane. Electrically connecting the backplane and daughtercards together can be accomplished by backplane connectors.
Backplane connectors can be of a two-piece construction and typically comprise a pin header which is mountable on the backplane and the daughtercard connector mounted on a daughtercard. The daughtercard connector is detachably mateable with the pin header to facilitate assembly and disassembly of the electronic device. In various embodiments, to enable the backplane PCB and the daughtercard PCB to be connected together at right angles, the daughtercard connector can include a plurality of conductive leads that bend or extend through a 90° angle so that the contact ends of the leads are arranged perpendicularly to one another. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the conductive leads can be configured to transmit single-ended signals or, in order to facilitate high speed data transmission, the conductive leads within the backplane connector can be configured to carry differential signals. Moreover, the leads can include a contact end that physically projects from the daughtercard connector and can physically contact pins secured in the pin header and thereby complete electrical communication between the daughtercard connector and the pin header.
To ensure good electrical contact between the daughtercard leads and the pins, it is known to form the contact end of the leads as bifurcated contacts. Bifurcated contacts may include two spaced-apart, bifurcated arms, each of which can establish a separate contact point with the conductive pin. An advantage of establishing two points of contact between the bifurcated contact and the pin is to facilitate redundant and reliable electrical connection with the pins in the header. As can be appreciated though, the bifurcated arms of the leads can interfere with placement of adjacent contacts, can require offsetting or uneven contact positioning, and can increase insertion forces during mating of the connector with a pin header. They also can be complicated in design and relatively costly to manufacture.